In 2005, The North Carolina Department of Community Colleges selected Henderson County JobLink Career Center at Blue Ridge Community College as one of twelve pilot sites in North Carolina to develop the state's Career Readiness Certificate program.

The North Carolina Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) is a portable credential that workers can use in any area of North Carolina or in any state in the U.S. The CRC is designed to meet the needs of both employers and job seekers in this transitioning economy. The CRC is based on WorkKeys, a nationally recognized, skills assessment tool developed by ACT Inc.

For employers, the CRC offers a reliable means of determining whether a potential employee has the necessary literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills to be "job ready."

For job seekers, the CRC serves as a portable credential that can be more meaningful to employers than a high school degree or a resume citing experience in a different job setting.

The CRC confirms to employers that the individual possesses basic workplace skills in Reading for Information, Applied Math and Locating Information-the three skills that most jobs require. It is a perfect document for job seekers to include with a resume when applying for a job.

An individual may earn one of three certificates:

• Bronze Certificate indicates attainment at a minimum of Level 3 on each of the three WorkKeys assessments (Reading for Information, Applied Math and Locating Information). And Individual who earns the Bronze Certificate possesses the core workplace skills for approximately 30% of the jobs profiled by WorkKeys.

• Silver Certificate indicates that an individual has attained at least a Level 4 on each of the tests and possesses core employability skills for approximately 65% of the jobs profiled by WorkKeys.

• Gold Certificate indicates that an individual has attained at least a Level 5 on each of the three WorkKeys assessments and possesses core employability skills for approximately 85% of the jobs profiled by WorkKeys.